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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Lamiaceae
Westringia

Citation: Smith, Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 18:173 (1797).

Derivation: After Dr Johan Peter Westring, 1753-83, a Swedish physician and writer on lichens.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Small shrubs to 1 rarely 2 m high; branches often triangular or quadrangular in section; hairs of branches appressed, antrorse, simple, c. 0.2-0.3 rarely 0.4 mm long; leaves whorled, 3 or 4 leaves per whorl, articulate on the branches; venation not visible; inflorescence raceme-like on leafy branches; part inflorescences 1-flowered; prophylls (bracteoles) 2, opposite; calyx 5-lobed; corolla 5-lobed, distinctly 2-lipped; lower median lobe directed outwards and forward to recurved, shallowly lobed; lateral-lobes spreading; upper median lobe-pair directed outward, concave in section; stamens 2, inserted on the upper side of the corolla mouth; staminal filaments ligulate to subterete, white; anthers basifixed, unilocular, introrse, purplish laterally; staminodes 2, inserted on the lower side of the corolla mouth; staminodal filaments shorter than the staminal filaments; sterile anther lobes white; ovary cup-shaped to cylindrical, 4-lobed; style terminal, slender, ligulate to terete, slightly incurved, lying next to the upper surface of the corolla; stigma shortly 2-fid.

Mericarps 4, usually reticulate-rugose; seeds slightly flattened, ellipsoid to cylindrical-ellipsoid, or narrowly obovate in outline, slightly incurved, 1-1.8 mm long, 0.2-0.8 mm wide.

Distribution:  About 25 species, endemic to Australia (including Lord Howe lsland). (B. Boivin (1949)Proc. R. Soc. Qld 60:99-110.) Westringias.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
1. Leaves sessile, usually subpatent (sometimes spreading to recurved), ovate to narrowly ovate, 1.9-5.2 rarely 9.8 mm long, subpungent with a mucro c. 0.8 mm long; corolla white with dots on the inner surface; staminodal filaments glabrous; shrub intricate
W. rigida 3.
1. Leaves with a petiole 0.3-0.7 mm long, spreading to recurved, ovate, narrowly ovate, narrowly oblong to linear, 6-26 rarely 4-40 mm, usually with a mucro 0.3-0.5 mm long; corolla white, purple, lilac or mauve, dots present or absent; staminodal filaments hairy, at least at the base; shrub with suberect to spreading branches.
 
2. Leaf lamina 13-26 rarely 8-40 mm long, 1-3 mm wide; petiole 0.3-0.5 mm long; calyx lobes 0.8-1.9 rarely 0.5 mm long; corolla 8-12 mm long; corolla lower median lobe-pair 7.2-8 mm long, 6.4-8 mm wide; sterile anther lobes 0.9-1 mm long; calyx lobe to tube ratio 0.1-0.5 rarely 0.6
W. dampieri 1.
2. Leaf lamina 6-12 rarely 4-15 mm long, 0.6-1.3 mm wide; petiole 0.5-0.7 mm long; calyx lobes 1.3-5.3 rarely 1 mm long; corolla 6.5-8.5 mm long; corolla lower median lobe-pair 2.6-3.8 mm long, 2.6-3.9 mm wide; sterile anther lobes 0.6-0.8 mm long; calyx lobe to tube ratio 0.3-0.6 rarely to 0.9
W. eremicola 2.

Author: Not yet available


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